


Confusion

by TheOnlyWife



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Danny Phantom
Genre: Crossover, Danny is confused, Dimension Travel, Gaang (Avatar), Gender-Neutral pronouns for Clockwork, One Shot, Protective Sokka (Avatar), danny is tired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26746516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOnlyWife/pseuds/TheOnlyWife
Summary: Danny didn’t know where the portal he was thrown into led him. Nor did he recognize the people now in front of him. All he knew was that the dude with the ponytail wasfast.Fast enough that in the few seconds it took for him to get his bearings, there was a boomerang at his throat.
Comments: 42
Kudos: 413





	Confusion

Danny didn’t know where the significantly large green portal he was thrown into led him. Nor did he recognize the people now in front of him. All he knew was that the dude with the ponytail was _fast_. Fast enough that in the few seconds it took for him to get his bearings, there was a weapon at his throat. And fast enough for the portal to close right behind him. But he had more pressing issues than that at the moment.

“So you’re saying your name is Danny?”

Danny tried to ignore the feeling of what he thought was a boomerang pressed up against his neck. The pressure wasn’t enough to cut, but it hurt. “Sure is.” he choked out as the dude - not even a year older than him, really - was unrelenting

“And what was that green wall?” the boy behind him said, putting more pressure onto his weapon.

Danny tilted his head ever so slightly towards where the now disappeared portal was, keeping his hands raised in placation even as his circulation was being cut off. Well, the circulation he would have had if he needed to breathe in his ghost form. “You mean the portal?”

The lady with the loops of hair around either side of her face, hand hovering close to a popped open satchel tied to her left hip, spoke up. “Portal?” she seemed, if Danny had to guess, confused. He supposed that was fair. He felt just as confused.

Ponytail guy hadn’t lowered his weapon, but since he was behind Danny, he couldn’t really tell what he was thinking when he loosened the strength behind it just a little. Or maybe it wasn’t on purpose in the first place. 

“Yeah, the green swirly portal that leads into… well I wouldn’t call it home, but it’s close enough.” Danny said. He’d been able to get a read on almost everyone in front of him so far. Ponytail dude was a leader if he’d ever seen one. Quick on his feet, but not overly aggressive with him so far. Hair loop girl was cautious, but willing to listen.

The bald kid (who really was just a kid, going by his, well...everything) was hanging back a bit. Not to say he wasn’t interested - he definitely was - but he was most likely the wild card with something always up his sleeve. Not someone to mess around with in a fight.

The only one he hadn’t been able to get a read on was the little girl with a green and gold headband. She hadn’t said a single word, but kept a solid, battle-ready stance the entire time. Whether she was just patient like the other lady or looking for an opportunity to strike was a mystery for now.

“And where is home? With the Fire Nation?” the boomerang, which really did have a sharp point to it, was pressed into his neck further. 

Danny, so far, had been patient. He thought he could talk his way out like he usually did. Solve his problems by being quick or clever. But if this guy wanted to throw down, Danny would throw down. He phased out of the guy’s grip and backwards through his chest.

“Sokka!” the lady in blue yelled. She rushed forwards to catch the dude, Sokka, as he fell forward. Lucky for him, he only stumbled a few times before he righted himself.

“I’m okay, Katara.” he reassured her quickly. He turned and faced Danny again, glare and boomerang at the ready.

“What just happened?” she whispered to him from behind. Danny could hear her just fine. Whether or not that was her intention would also remain a mystery.

“I don’t know, but if he wants to fight, then we’ll fight.” Sokka whispered back. The girl with the headband centered herself more. The bald kid stepped up, wooden staff in hand and a serious expression on his face.

“I don’t want to fight.” Danny felt the need to preface when everyone adjusted themselves. “Really, I’m just as confused as you are. Like what even is the Fire Nation?”

The little girl’s stance changed just slightly. Like she couldn’t believe what he was saying. Or maybe she did believe him, but didn’t know what to think.

Sokka charged him, boomerang at the ready, yelling while he did so. Danny just lifted his feet off the ground and floated to the left, chuckling when Sokka had to turn around yet again.

“Aang, tell me where he is.” Danny heard the girl whisper very quietly. If he hadn’t been focused he wouldn’t have seen the large rock come hurdling at his face in an instant.

“Woah!” he yelped as he ducked. “Too close.”

It slams into the mountain side a distance away, crumbling onto the dry dirt just as quickly. He turns back to face them, maybe to throw a quip their way, but stops in his tracks.

He counts himself incredibly lucky he’s built up a quick reflex of turning intangible or he would’ve gotten hit with the whip of water coming directly at his face. He recoiled even as it passed through him. As it withdrew from his face it returned into Katara’s satchel, which was still open. He now understood why.

“Ok so in this world there’s control of the elements.” he whispered to himself, taking in the people in front of him in a different light. “Good to know.”

It seemed like Sokka and the tattooed kid (Danny thinks his name was Aang) couldn’t bend. Or maybe they could and they were just waiting for their turn. Danny refused to put his feet back on the ground. It seemed like it put the little girl, who he hadn’t gotten a name for yet, at a slight disadvantage. Then again, she was the closest one to getting a hit on him so maybe not.

Right on cue, Aang sends an attack his way. Well, ‘attack’ not being quite the word he’d use. A huge, powerful gust of wind came for him. He didn’t go intangible in time (mostly because it was so sudden and invisible), which caused him to fall down to the ground a few feet farther back than he would have liked to be.

The more passive, but still can go aggressive kind, then. Still a wild card, but Danny is glad he’s getting to know more about them and their powers. Information gathering was never his strong suit.

“Seriously, can’t we just not fight? I'm confused and way too tired for this.” he complains loudly, laying flat on his back. Though he knows they won’t listen at this point.

To his surprise, he was wrong.

“Sokka, he’s telling the truth.” the little girl says. She still has her solid stance, but something felt different about it. It seemed more defensive than offensive, if he had to pick.

“Are you sure, Toph? He could be a fire nation spy.” Sokka says back, still holding his boomerang up. Katara now held a glob of water in her hands, keeping a steady, constant flow between them.

“I’m sure.” she says back with conviction. 

Sokka reluctantly lowers his weapon. “Then I trust you.”

His words seemed to placate the rest of his group. They all relax their stances, though they didn’t take their eyes off of Danny, even as Sokka takes a step to close the reasonable distance between him and the group.

“Hey uhh...Danny!” Sokka yells over to him. “We won’t fight you anymore.”

Pretending like he hadn’t heard the conversation they just had he yells back “Really?”. 

Information gathering was easier if you played dumb. Or if your enemies didn’t know you had supernatural hearing. Though, they may not be enemies anymore. He didn’t know how the girl, Toph, knew he wasn’t lying, but he’d take the win. 

He floats himself upright again, though it was mostly for show. He could have just as easily stood normally. But Jazz taught him that people would take him more seriously if he used his powers like it was nothing. 

It seemed like it meant much more to these people than it did to him. He never practiced his stances or worked hard to use his powers. They came to him by accident. And in this universe, in whatever time, place, or world he was in, control of the elements may instead be a learned thing.

And, maybe it was a long shot, but he thinks Toph is blind. Her eyes seemed glossed over and she never looked at anyone in the eyes. Or maybe that was just an awkwardness thing. Tucker had problems looking him in the eyes, too. Something about it being a sensory processing thing. He didn’t get it, but he wouldn’t force the point on his friend if it made him uncomfortable.

Either way it seemed like she’d prefer him to be on the ground, so he let himself gently fall down to walk closer. He’d rather float, as that was much faster (not to mention quieter), but if that's what she liked, then he’d do it.

And if she suddenly had confidence in him, then he’d trust her too. After all, she ‘powered down’ in her own sense. Relaxing your stance in a battle of superpowers was like throwing down your weapon.

He guessed it helped that he never threw his punches at any of them. He’d certainly not listen to any pleas his enemies had if they hurt Sam or Tucker. 

He stops in front of the four of them, feeling a bit small in comparison to the slightly taller Sokka. He wasn’t getting the feeling like he had earned any of their real trust. Just a temporary truce. Fair point, he reasoned. Sokka proved he could be dangerous, and Danny wasn’t about to let his guard _entirely_ down either.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t have a bit of fun.

“Alright ponytail guy, why exactly won’t you fight me anymore?” he says, voice teasingly light.

Sokka sputters for a second before throwing a pointed finger at his tied up hair. “It’s a wolf-tail!”

Surprisingly, it’s Toph who keeps it going. “No no, ponytail guy, go on and tell us about your hair some more.” Danny hears her laugh under her breath.

”If we’re going to talk about anyone’s hair it’s gotta be yours.” Sokka gestures at Danny, sounding more offended than one should be about their hair. “I’ve never seen something that goofy before.”

Danny isn’t too fussed about his hair, but he knows how to play along. “Hey!” he says, glaring at Sokka. “My hair isn’t goofy!”

“It’s _glowing_!” Sokka gestures to his jumpsuit. “And what is that you’re wearing?”

“I’ll admit, I’ve never seen clothing like that before.” Katara chims in. He noticed her satchel was closed and back to resting on her hip. He also noticed that Sokka’s boomerang was attached to his back, peeking up behind his neck. He feels just a bit better about the four of them now.

“Well now this has just turned into a ‘roast Danny’ session.” he complains out loud, crossing his arms. Really, he doesn’t mind being called goofy or weird. He’s actually enjoying not having to fight for once.

“And if you’re supposed to be an air bender, then you suck at dodging.” Sokka said. He nodded his head towards the bald kid, who was currently sitting down, twirling his staff lazily in his hands. “I think even Aang could put up a better fight.”

“Air bender?” he says, confused. He knew there was control of the elements, but he guessed calling them ‘benders’ was easier. “Wait, you asked if I was Fire Nation earlier. Don’t tell me they’re the bad guys in this world.”

Sokka nodded once solemnly. “The baddest.”

“Aughh.” he wiped a hand across his face. “Let me guess. They invaded your home so now you’ve set off to end the war that they inevitably started. And you’ve dragged along a ragtag group of friends to help.”

“Pretty close, actually.” Toph says, shrugging. “I came willingly, though.”

“And I’m the Avatar!” Aang chirps up, still twirling his staff, but this time using only his air bending to hover it in midair.

“Oh, let me guess.” Danny nods down towards Aang. “The super powerful master of all elements that has to end the war because no one else can for some reason?”

“I haven’t mastered all of them yet.” he admits, shrugging awkwardly. “But I do plan to end the war. I just can’t do it alone.”

Danny is hit with a sudden realization. “ _Clockwork, if this is your idea of funny, I’m not laughing_.” he mumbles through his hands. Of course Clockwork was behind all of this. Why else would the portal close so quickly? The few he’d been through stayed open for at least a minute, sometimes more.

And now he was left with homework. Of which he had to do if he wanted to get home. Damn that ghost of time for leaving him stranded like this. They’d better be taking care of Amity while he was gone. Or at least help Sam, Tucker, and Jazz as they did it in Danny’s place.

“Ok so I may or may not be stranded.” he says, after getting hit with the equivalent of a train of realization. “And I think it’s my job to help you.”

Getting weird looks from Sokka and Aang, he sighs. “It’s a long story, but I think it’s best if we start with this.”

A white halo forms around his stomach, travelling both up and down, leaving him with his regular clothes underneath. Regular clothes being his dark blue galaxy pajamas he had on before he transformed to take care of a ghost back home. He didn’t even have shoes on. He’d find some way to get Clockwork back for this when he gets home.

The group, minus Toph, gaps in shock. He grins like he just told a good joke. It was kinda fun to freak out people with his transformation. Not like he could do it at home.

“Let’s start over.” he holds out a hand, blue, starry pajama sleeve hanging off of his arm loosely. “I’m Danny and I’m a ghost. Nice to meet you!”

**Author's Note:**

> Gift work for quasar-crew on Tumblr! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> As always, all comments are welcome! Even just a <3 as an extra kudos!


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